star_wars_space_battlesfandomcom-20200214-history
TIE Starfighter
The TIE/LN starfighter (TIE being an abbreviation for twin ion engine), known better as the TIE Fighter, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout the galaxy during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Rebel and New Republic pilots referred to them as "eyeballs". Description The TIE Fighter is the original design for later upgraded TIE models such as TIE bomber, TIE interceptor, TIE Defender, TIE phantom, and many other variants. The TIE Fighter was a descendant of the V-wing starfighter, developed for the Galactic Republic. It was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems. The TIE's engine was one of the most precisely manufactured propulsion systems in the galaxy and, with no moving parts, was low-maintenance. The TIE fighter had independent generators for the engine and the weapons. The lack of combat shields, hyperdrive, and life-support systems, along with the advanced engine design, reduced the mass of the fighter and resulted in great maneuverability. This also made them both inexpensive and quick to replace. Primary armament was a pair of L-s1 laser cannons, coupled with a powerful sensor suite. The cannons were powerful, and a well-placed hit on a starfighter or medium transport could damage or destroy it. It did not carry missile tubes, but such weaponry could be added on. Due to the exclusion of life-support systems, Imperial starfighter pilots were sheathed in a fully-sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE fighters also lacked landing gear, another mass-reducing measure. While the ships were capable of "sitting" on their wings, they were not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support. On Imperial ships, TIEs were launched from racks in the hangar bays. Power conduits were attached between the engine system and the solar arrays. TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. Standard attack squadrons consisted of 12 fighters while full attack wings were made up of six squadrons. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. The ships did in fact possess ejection seats, but the nature of space warfare often resulted in pilots riding their craft down to a swift end rather than ejecting and risking slow death by heat loss and oxygen starvation in the vacuum of space. The design choices of the TIE starfighter may be explained by Imperial military philosophy, which viewed the starfighters and their pilots as an expendable asset. Though Imperial pilots were of an elite stock, they were also expected to consider themselves expendable, in accordance with their training. Other pilots often considered TIE fighter pilots to be suicidal due to the how expendable the starfighters were. Like stormtroopers, TIE pilots had their own identification, for example "DS-55-2" (the first two letters indicated the posting, the next two or three digits indicated the squadron number, and the last number indicated the pilot's ranking in the squadron). This procedure reduced them to being no more than anonymous and standardized operatives of the Imperial war machine. This attitude was furthered by the the lack of sentimental attachment to particular TIEs by TIE pilots, unlike Rebel pilots who often grew attached to their craft. As far as they were concerned, every fighter was identical. The major disadvantage of this starfighter was its exclusion of deflector shields. In combat, pilots had to rely on the TIE fighter's maneuverability to avoid damage. The cockpit did include crash webbing, a repulsorlift antigravity field, and a high-g shock seat to help protect the pilot, however these did almost nothing to help protect against enemy blaster fire. However, despite this lack of protection, the fighter was at least able to survive glancing hits, for example when the quad laser cannons on the Millennium Falcon were able to hit a TIE fighter without actually destroying it. The front and rear of the fighter were designed to be small to make it difficult to hit with blasters, but these side panels proved easy targets for flanking enemy pilots. They also hampered the fighter's ability to maneuver while in the atmosphere. History The TIE prototype, also called simply the TIE starfighter, was the very first in the TIE series. It was soon replaced by the TIE/LN starfighter, which including upgraded weapons and engines. The TIE starfighter inspired many other Imperial starfighters manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems, which became collectively known as the TIE series. The basic TIE structure quickly became the staple of Imperial starfighter designs from the TIE fighter onward. The TIE/LN fighter became the standard starfighter of the Galactic Empire, while the other somewhat rarer TIE designs fulfilled other tasks, such as bombing and being able to cloak. TIEs would be used in massive numbers throughout the Galactic Civil War and would be regarded by many as a symbol of the Empire. The TIE fighter would have been replaced by the newer TIE interceptor. This was because T-65 X-wings greatly outperformed them in the Fei Hu campaign, resulting in 286 destroyed TIEs. TIE Interceptors began to see greater use around the time of the Battle of Endor, but the collapse of the Empire into smaller moff-controlled remnants made this impossible. As the Empire retreated, more and more factories found themselves behind New Republic lines and ceased production. By the time the peace treaty was signed, the Empire (now known as the Imperial Remnant) began to use export starfighters manufactured by other races (such as the Sullustan SoroSuub Corporation Preybird-class starfighter) because they lacked the manufacturing facilities to build new TIEs.